Taking Chances
by TCGeek
Summary: Feeling like life is passing him by, Doctor Hoffman tries to find one last crazy thing to do before his time comes. Hoffmancentric oneshot.


**crickets chirp**

**Yeah, it is not very busy in teh Trauma Center section. I'm not used to it! Where are all you people? (is shamed when I realize I haven't been updating either)**

**This is a request for someone on DeviantArt, a Dr. Hoffman-centric oneshot with a slice of Victor on the side. I will tell you right now because of being in a writing funk, this is not my best work - I'm not that proud of it. But I figured if you all are as bored as I am right now, maybe you will enjoy this a little bit.**

**Rylee (c) ITB  
RipCord (c) Cedar Point **

* * *

"Sidney, I was wondering if you had a chance to go over the notes from…"

Dr. Robert Hoffman quickly cut himself off as he walked into the Chief's office, noticing that Sidney was talking to his wife, Naomi, over speakerphone. Sidney sent a quick nod his way, motioning for him to sit down while he finished up the phone call.

As the surgeon skimmed Sidney's desk with his violet eyes, his interest was suddenly piqued, catching a stack of newly developed pictures.

Now that his and Naomi's daughter Rylee was old enough to handle the long flight, Sidney had taken a vacation recently with his two girls to Japan to learn the history of Naomi's life, and also, to take Rylee to see where her grandparents lived.

Robert smiled as he flipped through the stack of photos. There were picture of Sidney and his family by Tokyo Tower, at Universal Studios, at the Osaka Aquarium, and many other different attractions which were not easily recognizable.

Sidney said goodbye to his wife ended the call, leaning back in his chair as he watched Dr. Hoffman enjoy his pictures.

Robert thought deeply as he looked at photo documentation of all the exciting things that Sidney had experienced. His own life winding to a close, he realized that he and his wife of nearly fifty years really didn't have any sort of exhilarating adventures anymore.

A sudden longing burned in his chest when he thought of the days in which he was young and carefree, like all his coworkers at Caduceus. Had he missed his chance to do one last crazy thing before his time came? Now that he thought about it, he couldn't even remember what the last adventurous thing he did was… maybe it was being infected by Savato, but Robert didn't really see that as interesting nor fun in the least.

"What were you asking when you came in, Doctor Hoffman?" Sidney asked, cutting through Robert's time of reminiscing.

"O-Oh…" he stammered, unable to remember why he had come in the first place. Instead he looked down at the smiling faces of Sidney, Naomi, and Rylee, and smiled again, turning his head up towards Sidney.

"Do you ever feel as though everyone around you is doing something exciting with their life, and yours is just passing you by?"

Robert's question took Sidney by surprise, knowing that what he had asked was not what he originally intended to discuss.

"Well…" Sidney started, visibly unsure of how to answer the question. "If you feel like life is passing you by, then you are probably letting it. And if you are letting something like that happen, you are not really living."

Robert pondered the thought, idly scratching at his chin. "I really can't think of the last time I did something exhilarating – something, crazy, something…"

He trailed off, leaving Sidney to ponder along with him.

"Well, what is it you want to do? What would curb this need you have?"

Robert thought again, adjusting his glasses. "I, don't know, Sidney. I need something that I would not normally do – something, out of the ordinary."

Sidney thought for a moment.

"Maybe, you could get a dog?"

Robert scowled at him, leaving the chief to chuckle slightly.

"Sorry, I don't know what to tell you. Go talk to Stiles – he and Angie just got back from Cedar Point. Maybe they can give you some tips on how to take a walk on the wild side. If not them, then talk to Dr. Chase – he just got back from a whitewater rafting trip."

Dr. Hoffman nodded, pausing for a moment before he got out of his chair, straightening his white lab coat as he walked towards the door.

"What was it that you actually wanted to ask me, sir?" Sidney asked, watching as Robert's hands clasped themselves behind his back – the surgeon's signature pose.

"Oh, who cares."

Sidney raised an eyebrow as Dr. Hoffman walked out in search of an adventure.

----------

_Knock, knock, knock..._

The door to Tyler Chase's office swung open as Dr. Hoffman timidly knocked on it. Leaning his tall frame over just a bit, he peeked around the corner, finding it empty.

Sighing, he pulled himself out of the doorway, catching a picture on the wall on his way out.

Sidney was right – it was a picture of him and his fiancée, Nurse Leslie Sears, on a whitewater rafting trip.

Gazing at it for a moment, Robert began to think again. Was that something that would cure his need to do something exciting?

He backed out of the room in mid-thought, his hands meeting behind his back once more. Racking his brain, it suddenly dawned on him that he was not much of a water person, and that high speed rafting was probably not something that he would enjoy.

Black dress shoes clicking against Caduceus's emerald green tile, Robert Hoffman paced further down the hallway, hearing giggles from a man and a woman come from inside an office just a few paces from where he had just stopped.

Curious, he walked forward, a laughing Derek Stiles and Angie Thompson coming into his view. Moving closer to the door, he smiled fondly at them from just outside of the doorway. Pushing up the glasses on his face again, Robert watched as Angie wiped her eyes from laughing, smacking Derek as he imitated something that must have been an inside joke between the pair.

Suddenly, brown eyes locked with violet eyes amidst the fit of laughter, settling the younger surgeon down immediately.

Robert held a hand up to wave at Derek, Angie never noticing him in the doorway. She was still cracking up as Derek smiled and returned the wave.

"Did you need something, Dr. Hoffman?" Derek asked, Angie finally looking up at him.

"No, no, Derek… just passing by…" he trailed off, noticing that he and Angie were getting ready to watch something on the TV.

Derek smiled. "Oh, alright – would you like to watch the video they took of us at Cedar Point?" he asked, smiling as he sat back against the couch.

"_Maybe this will help me figure out what I need to do to feel better..."_ Robert thought.

Nodding with a quick smirk, Robert strolled into the room, standing next to the couch where the two were sitting as Angie pressed play.

Dr. Hoffman's purple glasses-covered eyes glazed over with confusion as Angie began giggling out of control.

"What is this?" Robert asked, looking on the screen.

Derek and Angie were on their stomachs, arms linked, suspended about ten feet in the air. Wrapped in a big purple cocoon, they were held up only by a cord which extended high in the air.

"This is called the Rip Cord, Doctor." Angie explained gently, pausing as the camera panned out all the way. "We hung from this little bundle, and they pulled us back all the way up until we were level with that arch right there, and then…"

"…THAT, arch?" Hoffman repeated, gently loosening the blue striped tie that hung around his neck as he looked at the arch that stood nearly 300 feet tall.

"Yep." Derek said, grinning as he pressed play again.

Dr. Hoffman's eyes widened as he watched Derek and Angie's tiny little cocoon begin to get pulled back, barely visible against the towering arch.

Derek began laughing hysterically, listening to a shrieking scream come from Angie on the video.

"Is that, Angie?" What is she…"

"She's screaming as we're being pulled UP!" Derek said, barely unable to contain his laughter.

"Shut, _UP_!" she squeaked, smacking Derek in the leg. "The sidewalk got REALLY tiny!"

Derek just chuckled, but Dr. Hoffman was still glued to the video, thinking about what it would be like if he was in their place.

As they arrived at the top, the man at the bottom yelled "3, 2, 1, FLY!", and Angie covered her eyes, refusing to pull the handle like she was supposed to.

Derek was cracking up again, watching himself reach across Angie on the video, trying to pull the cord as she covered her eyes, shaking her head.

Robert was even more confused then before, tilting his head slightly to the side as he placed a hand on his chin, raking his fingers through his short white beard.

Suddenly, Derek was successful, his hand now resting on the handle.

"When happens when you…"

Robert was cut off by Derek and Angie's laughter, watching themselves freefall on the video.

"Oh…Oh! Oh GOD!" Robert exclaimed, shielding his eyes with his right hand.

"Doctor Hoffman!" Angie exclaimed amidst her giggles, pointing to the screen. "It's okay, look!"

Peeking in between the fingers which covered his face, Dr. Hoffman watched as they looked ready to hit the sidewalk. But, at the last minute, the cord caught, swinging them through the air.

Robert studied their faces, happy and laughing, full of life as they smiled at each other, enjoying the last of their ride.

"Was it fun?" he asked the pair, watching them nod and smile.

Thinking, he paused, smiling as he moved closer to the door. This had helped, all right.

"Well, thanks for the show you two – see you later."

"Goodbye Dr. Hoffman!" Angie chirped, Derek waving as well.

Walking out of the pair's office, Doctor Hoffman contemplated their adventure… maybe he could do that? Was that really what he wanted to do?

Mentally, he shook his head. Though it was hard to watch, Robert decided in that moment that it was not daring enough for him. If this was going to be the last absolutely crazy thing that he was going to do in his lifetime, that meant that he could not have any regrets about it at all – if he did, then it simply wouldn't be worth it.

Feeling slightly dejected as he racked his brain, Dr. Hoffman watched his shiny black dress shoes click against the green tile, never seeing Victor walking forward examining a stack of papers, until it was too late.

"Oof!"

Both Hoffman and Victor watched as Victor's paperwork went scattering all over the floor.

"Why don't you watch where – "

Victor looked up, surprised to be staring into the eyes of the executive director of Caduceus. The other nitwits around the place were usually the ones that didn't pay attention – not someone like him.

"Sorry, Dr. Hoffman…"

"Oh no, Victor…" he said, bending over to help pick up the papers. "That was all my fault – I guess I should look up when I'm walking, eh?"

Victor cracked a smile. He had always really liked Dr. Hoffman, and wasn't exactly sure why.

The two were silent as they straightened the stack of papers, eventually successful in cleaning up the mess. Robert was now standing up straight again, glancing quickly at the papers he was holding, waiting for Victor to finish straightening his half of the pile. Victor's scribbly handwriting on the top sheet caught Hoffman's attention, turning his gaze downward to look at it. It was a telephone number with the word "skydiving" written next to it.

Surprised, Robert's forehead crinkled as he looked up at the researcher, who was now rising to his feet, neatly straightened papers in his hand.

"If you don't mind me asking… what is this?"

Victor glanced at the top sheet and then quickly went back to organizing his paperwork.

"Oh, that's nothing – I'm going skydiving tomorrow morning."

Robert raised an eyebrow as Victor pulled the rest of the papers out of his hands.

"I would hardly call jumping out of a plane nothing, Victor."

Victor looked at him and just shrugged, smirking a bit.

"You only live once, right?"

Robert just watched as Victor thanked him for the help, and walked away. It surprised him to see how carefree he was about something so dangerous – how, he seemingly didn't give it a second thought.

"Oh, by the way, Dr. Hoffman…"

Robert whirled around to see Victor standing in the elevator, arms crossed with paperwork in his left hand.

"I overheard you talking to Sidney earlier – you want crazy, meet me tomorrow at Romeo Airport at 7 a.m."

He sent a mischievous smirk Robert's way, just as the doors closed themselves.

And after the initial shock from the moment had passed over him, Robert Hoffman smiled, turning on his heel to go back to his office.

He was going skydiving.

----------

After a short training session, signing of many release forms and a quick payment, Victor and Doctor Hoffman were loaded into the plane with their instructors. As the doors closed and the plane started, Robert felt his heart drop into his stomach, wondering if this was such a good idea.

Dr. Clarks had checked him out the previous night and gave him the okay to go, but it wasn't his health he was worried about. This was so crazy, so, unlike him… sure his first jump was with an instructor strapped to his back, but still – what if something went wrong?

He shook his head quickly, reaching up to adjust his goggles as he looked out the small window of the plane. Thinking back to the day before, he remembered barely being able to watch Derek and Angie plummet from 300 feet. And now here he was, climbing steadily up to 10,000 feet in the air, just expecting to roll out of the plane.

Placing a hand over his face, Robert suddenly felt very flushed. Sidney was right – he should've just gotten a dog.

"Is everything okay, Doctor Hoffman?!" Victor yelled over the roaring engine of the plane, snapping the surgeon out of his funk temporarily.

"Uh – Yeah, I don't think I can do this…"

Jeff, the master skydiver attached to his back, patted him reassuringly on the arm.

"It's okay to have jitters, Doctor – everyone does!"

"No, I don't think you understand. I can't, do this. I can't."

Feeling defeated, Robert hung his head and took in deep breaths. He knew that it was a long stretch, but part of him actually believed he would be able to do it – to conquer one last amazing feat before he died. Yet here he was, chickening out.

"Doctor Hoffman…!" Victor said, earning a shameful glare from the researcher. Robert fully expected him to give him the "going for his dreams" lecture, but was surprised at what he heard next.

"You will get out of this plane, and you will do so from 10,000 feet."

Robert's forehead furrowed.

"Excuse me?"

"Jeff, is it?" Victor asked, watching as the skydiver strapped to Robert nodded.

"I don't care what you have to do, you will get this man out of the plane."

"Victor!" Hoffman snapped, his violet eyes casting an annoyed glare Victor's way. "I am not doing this – this is insane, I never should've –"

"Yes you should have, because you're going to. You came all this way, and this may be the only chance you have left. We have 1,000 feet to go until we jump, and when that time is up, I will be seeing you next to me on the way back down to earth." Victor said, trying to end the discussion with that. Robert however, wasn't finished.

"This plane will land with me in it, Dr. Niguel." Robert said, crossing his arms.

"Stubborn as hell. Kinda figured I'd have to play this way…" Victor said, listening as the pilot yelled that they were just 500 feet away from the jump altitude.

"You have to do this for yourself. If not, you'll regret it, and you'll be right back where you ended up, complaining about how life is passing you by. You want life? Here it is."

He motioned a hand towards the door as the skydiver strapped to him pulled open the door to the plane. Robert was hit with a rush of air, looking at the beautiful scenery down below. Suddenly, his knees felt weak as he looked down, remembering once again that he was afraid of heights.

"I know that I'll regret it, but I'll have to find something else. I can't do this… it's, not for someone like me…"

Victor groaned, crossing his arms.

"Well then I'm not going either."

Dr. Hoffman's eyes sprang open in surprise.

"No, Victor! You must! You were so excited…"

"And so were you. But if you don't go, I'm not either."

"You can't let me ruin this for you! You have to go!"

"Not unless you go with me."

Robert paused.

"I can't… Victor, I'm sorry…"

"JUMP POINT!" the pilot yelled back to the four. Robert watched as Victor rolled his eyes, staring at the surgeon one last time.

"Are you sure?" Victor asked, to which Robert nodded his head.

The dark-haired researcher sighed, his near-black eyes casting a disappointed glare over at the surgeon.

"Alright. At least take a look at what you're missing before we descend then."

Nodding in agreement, Robert hesitantly stepped closer to the edge, looking at the beautiful landscape below. Something about it was so calming, so tranquil...

…so calming in fact, that he never noticed Victor making a motion to Jeff, the skydiver paired with Robert.

Robert looked on, smiling to himself. It was amazing to know that people actually stepped out of a plane at this height, though he wouldn't be one of them.

…or, so he thought.

As he was admiring the world below, Victor yelled "You'll thank me later!", right before shoving Robert forward and out of the plane.

He could barely register everything that had just happened, feeling only a rush of air stronger than he had ever felt hitting him all over. Having squeezed his eyes shut when he fell out of the plane, he suddenly heard something over the headset he was wearing.

"Doctor Hoffman – open your eyes!"

It was Victor, that much he knew – but when Robert Hoffman opened his eyes to see a magnificent view of the earth, with Victor free-falling a short distance away from him, he slightly panicked.

Speechless from the exhilaration, all Robert could do was look around as much as possible, wondering when the free-falling was going to stop. And just as he wondered that, it felt like he had made impact with something.

The parachute suddenly opened, pulling both men from the position on their stomachs to a gentle hanging position. The transition knocked the wind out of him, though he rebounded from the shock quickly. It was now that Robert actually got a chance to look around, as the four men made a relaxing descent back towards earth. He could see the mountains, the Angeles Bay cityscape, and when he looked harder, even Caduceus.

Looking over to his right, he saw Victor, who was admiring the scenery as well, a smile on his face. There was one thing that Robert knew at that moment, and that was that for the little stunt he pulled, Victor was getting his pay docked the second they hit the ground.

Coming ever closer to the landing point, Dr. Hoffman now felt dizzy and a bit sick, the nervousness and panic throwing him into an emotional frenzy. He closed one eye, wincing visibly right before they made contact with the ground, having to run quite quickly to keep up pace.

Slowing to a stop, Robert noticed just how fast his heart was beating as he was unstrapped from Jeff's front, leaving him free to move about as he pleased. The instructor laughed when the first thing that he chose to do was rip off his goggles, lay down flat, and hug the ground – happy to be back on earth. His heart was a gentle hum now rather than individual beats, but he didn't care.

Mere seconds after Robert planted himself on the ground, Victor and his instructor dropped onto the same field, running before they eventually slowed to a stop. As he was unstrapped from his harness, Victor timidly walked over to where Dr. Hoffman still laid on the ground, snickering just a bit.

"Doctor Hoffman – are you alright?" he asked, crossing his arms as he continued to snicker.

Upon hearing his voice, Robert shot his glance up at the researcher, giving him the evil eye.

"Once the world stops spinning and I can stand up, you are in SO much trouble…"

Victor dropped his smirk in favor of a frown as he watched Dr. Hoffman shakily rise to his feet, still stumbling around just a bit.

"Well…?" Victor asked.

Robert stopped stumbling, finally able to stand out without feeling like he was going to topple over.

"Well what?"

Victor smirked.

"Are you ready to thank me yet?"

Robert's eyes shot open as me brushed a few windblown strands of hair from his face.

"_Thank_ you?! No, I'm not ready to thank you… I'm ready to KILL YOU!"

Victor couldn't help it – he started laughing, hunching himself over as wave after wave of hysterical laughs came out.

"Oh, come on Dr. Hoffman… you jumped… er, well, you fell out of a plane, freefell thousands of feet, and then enjoyed an amazing view as you parachuted down. You're on the ground now, you're fine, and now you can show everyone the video we took and say "Look, I got shoved out of a plane and survived it.""

Victor took off his helmet, shaking his straggly hair as he watched Robert's expression lighten.

"You, took a video? You mean there's proof?"

"We both have cameras built into our helmets, Doctor…" the other skydiver explained with a smile on his face. "Your skydiver took a video of Victor here, while I took a video of you."

Robert let a smile creep across his face. He really had done it – he had conquered his fear and did one last exhilarating stunt, just like he had wanted. Even though it was more of Victor's doing than his own, he was happy to have gone through the experience. Besides – nobody had to know that he was shoved, right?

Looking around the giant field, he spotted the two parachutes that had glided he and Victor down to safety, now sprawled flat across the grass.

Grabbing the researcher by the arm of the jumpsuit he was wearing, Robert pulled Victor over to one of the parachutes, tossing his digital camera to Jeff as they walked.

Victor was confused, but once Robert whirled him around and he noticed the camera, Victor smiled, feeling Dr. Hoffman's arm around his shoulders as they stood in front of their parachutes.

"Thank you, Victor…" Robert said, a sincere tone to his voice.

"That's what I told you right before I shoved you out – you would thank me later."

Both men started to chuckle, waiting as Jeff prepared the shot.

"Well for what it's worth, I'm proud of you Doctor Hoffman…"

Robert smiled, looking at Victor, and then back to the camera.

"That's worth a lot – thank you for literally giving me that extra 'push'…"

"Say Cheese!" Jeff yelled, snapping the photo just as Victor and Robert flashed two huge smiles.

----------

The next day, Sidney Kasal walked into Doctor Hoffman's office, seeing the surgeon sitting as his desk with a broad smile on his face as he filled out paperwork.

"Hello, Doctor… and what are we so happy about today?"

Robert just smiled as he looked up, his violet eyes reflecting the utmost pride.

"I took your advice Sidney, and did something to curb my monotonous lifestyle."

Sidney raised an eyebrow, returning Robert's smile.

"Oh yeah, and what's that?" he asked, watching as Robert pointed down on the floor, behind his desk.

Sidney walked around the room, laughing as a small golden retriever puppy came into view, sleeping at Robert's feet.

"You got a dog? Whatever happened to doing something totally crazy, something that would put some thrill back into your life?"

As Sidney was talking, Robert just let his eyes wander over to the picture of he and Victor that was now framed on his desk. But instead of pointing it out to Sidney, Robert just turned back to him and smiled.

"I guess we all live life in our own ways, Sidney."

Sidney returned Robert's smile, bidding him farewell as he removed himself from his office. Someday soon, he would tell him, just not now.

As Robert glanced at the picture and then at his new puppy one last time, he swore that in that moment, he never felt more alive.

And as he rose from his desk, he grabbed the video of his skydiving out from his top drawer, walking from his office and off to show the people he wanted to see it first.

Arriving at his destination, Robert knocked on the door before he was told he could come in. White labcoat billowing around him, he entered the room with a smile on his face, video held behind his back.

Even though he had needed a little push, Derek and Angie's 300 foot bungee jump had nothing on his 10,000 foot freefall – and though he was not the type to brag, he needed to show them what living life was all about…

Taking chances.

* * *

...**And Doctor Hoffman for the win!**

**I went on the RipCord at Cedar Point, and there is a video of it. I am screaming on the way up, and my friend had to reach over me to pull the damn handle cause I freaked out. It is hilarious.**

**Anyway - I'm off to update FCL (slinks away) **


End file.
